Vehicle roof racks are useful for additional storage space for a variety of articles, such as skis, bicycles, spare tires and luggage. Roof racks are typically immobile and rigidly secured to the roof of the vehicle. Placing articles on top of a vehicle can be difficult due to the roof's height or the article's weight.
Previously disclosed roof racks have attempted to solve these problems by mobilizing portions of the roof rack to a position that facilitates easy loading thereof. Unfortunately, many of these designs rely on the vehicle's side as a brace for the roof rack during loading which may cause damage thereto.
Furthermore, previously disclosed roof racks limit the amount and variety of articles which can be placed on the roof rack due to the limited surface area provided by the load-bearing portions of the roof rack.